Neo-Victorian freakery : the cultural afterlife of the Victorian freak show

"What is the enduring appeal of Victorian freak show performers in contemporary culture? What can the exhibition of people with extraordinary bodies in the nineteenth century tell us about our own attitudes towards physical difference? Does neo-Victorian fiction and film seek to challenge the exploitation of freak show performers, or does it perpetuate prurient horror and fascination? Neo-Victorian Freakery: The Cultural Afterlife of the Victorian Freak Show offers a compelling exploration of the lives of people who were billed as 'freaks' in the nineteenth century, and explores the ways in which neo-Victorian fiction, film, and television revisits their stories. Helen Davies locates the neo-Victorian freak show as a crucial forum for debating the politics of disability, gender, sexuality and race within the genre more broadly"--Provided by publisher.  Read more...